Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-02-11
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
The Bill Pending Before the S6nate.
Valuable Aid Promised by tho
United States. ss..
The Leas. Known eeoloSicalIy of all statss
In the Union-Hows Long Felt
Need Can be Supplied. ?
To the Austin Statesman.


there is none more worthy OF considera-
ton than that of state survey. Not
only throughout this sta e, is there gen.
eral interest in this matter, but the desire
for accurate knowledge on the subject
comes from all parts of the country.
Although Texas embraces one-twelfth of
the area of the entire United States, it is
cOnfessedly the least known OF them all
geologically. There is not a single
publication delineating accurately even
the broad geographical features, such
as the mountain or drainage systems
Of the state, to say nothing of the more
minute geological topics concern
ing the order, 8 real exposure, extent and
economic value Of the strata composing
its crust. Hardly q day passes but what
one hears of alleged discoveries of coal,
iron or other valuable minerals, and the
organization of capital to investigate
them, but it is absolutely impossible to
test the4pr0bahle veraCity of such rumors
by any map or publication accessible to
the world. The amount needlessly eX-
pended by our citizens each year in use
less searches after what is not, would
alone pay for the cost of preparing in
bound volumes accurate statements of
the extent and economic value OF every
rock stratum in our boundaries.
But there is no disagreement as to the
desire or need for geological survey. 1t
has been felt and recognized by our state
government since its earliest conception.
The state has several times initiated the
work, but its intentions have been
~ Tod NV oil 81 hot
here and need never be repeated. That
the new capitol building will contain
rooms and laboratories for state geo.
loeist is another evidence of this un-
written desire on the part of our gov
eminent. The last annual report of
the Commissioner OF Insurance
Statistics and History, after ex-
tensiVe comment on our alleeed
mineral wealth, reiterates this opinion
when he says: "The office is frequently
informed of the valuable discoveries by
individual explorers Of coal, iron, copper
and the precious metals. Large deposits
of kaoiin, said to be equal to the bts st
European and AsiatiC kaoliD, have been
discovered in Edwards, Fayette and Rob
ertson counties. To these may be added
the beautiful marbles and building stones
to be found throughout the state.
would suggest that an appropriation be
made for complete geological survey of
the state by counties"
The general desire for the present
Legislature to take up this matter has
been displayed by dozen independent
expressions in the shape of bills, petit
lions, etc. Chief among these are three
bills, so far, introduced for geological
survey proper, and several others Tor
various bureaus, all branches Of applied
geology, such as bureaus of mines and
minerals, agriculture, etc. So numerous,
varied and unorganized are these several
spontaneous endeavors, that the necessity
Of the survey is no longer discussed, but
the only question now is one Of method
how to organize and accomplish
it. All the various movements have as
an object the same end-the ascertalning,
publication and preservation of knoWl-
edge concerning the structure of our
state-and this should be set before the
Legislature in no ambiguous terms, so
that it should have an accurate and COM
prehensible statement of exactly what
work is needed, how to accomplish it
without unnecessary expense or duplica-
ton of work already done, and to utilize
whatever cooperation from existing Or
CARNATIONS that may be obtained. Upon
two things public sentiment is agreed, the
state should not spend once cent for su-
perfclal work, nor to establish a survey
which will merely prove q sinecure for
some unworthy incumbent.
Fortunately for the movement, news of
the present activity came to the ears of
its friends in Washington, and, in reply
70 letter from Senator Coke, Major j.
W. Powell, director of the United States
geological survey, sets forth at length
the methods of making geological sur
veys; the difference in function between
the United States and state surveys, and
closes with an offer to cooperate with
the state of Texas to such an extent that
it would be pity not to accept it at
once.
HOW GEOLOGICAL SURVEYS ARE MADE.
In this letter Major Powell gives clearly
the necessary requisites of geological
work. He shows that accurate topo-
graphic maps are essential to geologic
study. Upon such maps the field geolo-
gist records his observations relating to
the character of the rocky strata, the
strikes, dips, etc, JUST as the land sur
veyor records his courses and distances
upon 8 plat, and when the observation
is completed he is able to take in
the whole series of observations at
glance; and to classify them, and to per-
ceive the relation of the different veins
and beds which it is desirable to distin-
guish; and thus to determine the relation
of the strata far beyond the reach OF &C
tual observation, and sometimes to esti-
mate the extent, thickness and depth of
the coal seams and other mineral deposits
hundreds of feet beneath the surface.
During recent years the special value of
important Topographic maps as the basis
for the representation of geologic phe-
nomena has come to be recognized, and
special Topographic surveys have been
prosecuted with all the better classes of
state surveys.
The geologic work proper involves
two distinct lines of investigation, gener-
ally prosecuted separately and successive
". The first of these relates to general
geologic structure, and its object is to OBJ
tain a comprehensive knowledge OF the
rock formations of the region, their pre-
dominant mineral contents, general dis
tribution, etc. The second line relates to
the economic resources of the rocks, and
has for its immediate object the detailed
study of the different rocky strata, the
beds of limestone, the coal seams 1.-THE
mineral veins, the deposits ofBdtural
fertilizers, the beds yielding natural oils, q
gases, etc., together with the determinaS1
tion of the value of tne various mineral